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Healthy Aging Month

September is Healthy Aging Month and a great time to learn new ways to improve your physical, mental and social well-being.

Smile

Smiling is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your mental well-being. Studies have shown that people who smile are often happier than those who do not. Therefore make it a point to smile to everyone you meet when you are out and about shopping or just taking a stroll in your neighborhood.

Don’t Act Your Age

Not acting your age is another thing you can do to help you feel younger regardless of whether you are in your 50s, 60s or 70s. To rewind your mental clock, picture yourself at the age where you felt and looked your best and start behaving as if you are still that age. Combine mentally reversing your age with replacing all negative thoughts about yourself with positive ones to further improve your mental well-being.

Surround Yourself With Positives

To maintain this positive state of mind, avoid people who bombard you with updates of everything that is going wrong in their lives and the world in general. Spend more time with those who are focused on improving and enjoying their lives regardless of their ages by inviting them for meals in your home or going to watch movies together.

Improve Your Posture

Improving your posture is another simple thing you can do to make yourself look and feel younger. Therefore make a conscious effort to stand up straight with your chin up and tummy tucked in. Practice standing this way even when you are home alone so that it becomes your second nature.

Move

Pair your good posture with a vibrant walk by taking big strides quickly. To achieve this feat, exercise regularly to strengthen and tone your muscles. If you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle, consult your doctor first and then start stretching in the morning when you wake up and taking your dog for afternoon walks in the park.

Go For a Walk

Walking in the park will also boost your general physical health since the skin synthesizes vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun. Meeting new people as you walk in the park will also improve your social well-being.

Volunteering

Volunteering is another great thing you can do to boost your social and mental health. Pick a cause that you are passionate about and spend a few hours each week serving regardless of whether it is at an animal shelter or the local public school.

Take a Class

Taking a class yourself will also stimulate your mind and keep cognitive disorders and loneliness at bay as you meet new people. Artistic classes like painting are great choices, since they can be taken by persons of all ages and can even be done in the great outdoors.